Are you a fresh herb lover? Have you ever wondered how to store fresh cilantro and other herbs? There is an easy way to store leafy herbs that can make them last up to 6 weeks!
I love cooking with fresh herbs, but hate wasting the leftovers! Cilantro is one of our favorite fresh herbs to purchase. I love using fresh cilantro easy Tex-Mex recipes including Southwest Ranch Style Beans, Seven C’s Chicken Salad, Healthy Southwest Salad with Creamy Avocado Dressing, and Transforming Black Bean and Corn Salad.
The downside? When cooking with fresh cilantro I would use up part of my bunch, store the remainder in the fridge crisper, and then find myself tossing out half used bunches.
Herbs like cilantro are sold in large, fresh-cut bundles in grocery stores all across the United States. While I love the convenience of picking up herbs as I shop, I hate the fact that there is so much waste.
Cut herbs generally don’t have much of a shelf life so after a week or so they get slimy and unusable. My cilantro used to look like crispy brown leaves or slimy mush after a few days in the crisper. (See the poor wilted stems above?)
How to Store Fresh Cilantro
Fortunately, there is a simple storage trick that can help fresh cilantro last up to 6 weeks! What’s the secret? Treat bunches of cilantro just like you treat fresh-cut flowers!
Like a florist, you need to trim the ends of your leafy herbs, place them in fresh, cool water and store them in a fridge. Once a week or so you need to replace the water and retrim the ends. Freshly trimmed ends will be able to absorb more water, allowing the herbs to stay fresh.
You can loosely cover your herbs with a plastic bag once they are trimmed and in cool water. I use a disposable bag from the grocery store vegetable section (I usually get one with my cilantro). Herbs can also be stored uncovered. See which works well in your fridge, it depends on the humidity in your area.
My cilantro lasts a LONG time with or without a plastic bag cover. Just remember to trim it regularly and keep the water fresh. This storage tip works with many leafy herbs. Check out my parsley!
Here’s my current batch of cilantro, can you believe it is more than six weeks old? No slime in sight!
I hope you try this technique to make your fresh herbs last longer!
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Fran
July 13, 2018 at 6:05 pmDo you wash the cilantro first?
Bren
July 25, 2018 at 4:18 pmI wash and dry it well first but it also works unwashed!
Patty
April 3, 2018 at 10:16 pmThis sounds so easy and thank you for sharing. Will try it today. Will this work with basil?
Bren
April 4, 2018 at 8:08 amThanks, Patty. I’ve never tried this trick with basil but it does work with oregano and thyme. Let me know if you try the basil!
Car
March 4, 2018 at 3:38 pmCute jar!Whee did you get it from?
Bren
March 6, 2018 at 8:17 amIt’s a Starbuck frappuccino bottle I recycled! I make them into drink holders for kids too!
Claire
February 3, 2018 at 12:31 pmI use the same trick for fresh basil. I can extend the life of a bunch for up to 7 days only though – basil is just not storage friendly. However, I find that this is a difficult way to store anything in our fridge, since everything is so crowded and shuffling inevitably causes a spilled ‘vase’ of herbs. It drives my husband nuts (since he’s the main shuffler)
Bren
February 5, 2018 at 8:27 amGreat tip, Claire! Thanks for sharing. -Bren
Letty.
July 15, 2016 at 10:42 amThank you for sharing but I saw u had horizon organic milk. It not a good organic company.
Bren
July 15, 2016 at 3:08 pmThanks for stopping by and sharing.
JC
March 13, 2016 at 11:14 pmWonderful! Thank you for taking the time to write back with this great link!
JC
March 9, 2016 at 9:32 pmGreat tip! Do you have an idea on how to keep green onions fresh for longer too?
Bren
March 9, 2016 at 10:52 pmThanks JC! I recently read this post about storing green onions. It had some great tips.
Clarissa
February 29, 2016 at 6:14 pmThis is crazy helpful! Thanks for sharing! I wonder if this will work for spinach? I don’t know why, but every time I buy a bunch of spinach, I have a limited time to use it in before it gets slimy.
-Clarissa
Bren
February 29, 2016 at 7:30 pmThanks Clarissa! I have never tried it with spinach but it might work if you buy those long bunches with stems. Let me know if you try! You could also check out this lettuce storage tip from my friend Victoria, it rocks.
Bradleigh Huizinga
February 21, 2016 at 8:06 pmGreat idea! I feel like this would also give me cooking inspiration when I open my fridge to beautiful herb bouquets. (: Definitely will have to share this. I’m a real food and natural living blogger over at widemeadow and I love natural, non-wasteful solutions. (:
Bren
February 21, 2016 at 8:45 pmThank you for stopping by to comment! I love non-wasteful solutions too!
okieqt
January 10, 2016 at 2:09 pmThank you for this tip! I just found it on Pinterest. I put my cilantro in water, but it only extends it for about a week. I can’t wait to try it in the fridge! Throwing away slimy cilantro after a few days is awful.
Bren
January 10, 2016 at 2:24 pmI agree, slimy herbs are gross! And I hate wasting my money! Make sure to trim the ends every few days so the stalks can still get water.